Super Mario park coming to Universal

Nintendo fans who have dreamed of stepping into their favorite video game to ride flying turtles and hang out with Princess Peach are in for a treat. Late last year, photos allegedly leaked from a Comcast employee town hall meeting revealed plans for a new Universal theme park in Orlando. The photos appear to show plans for a new park called Fantastic Worlds with a focus on Super Mario World.

While Nintendo has officially declined to comment, its website does admit that “Nintendo-themed areas are coming to Universal Studios Japan, Universal Orlando Resort, and Universal Studios Hollywood. These will be expansive, immersive and interactive. They will be highly themed and authentic environments filled with multiple attractions, shops and restaurants.”

If the leaked images are to be taken as authentic, they suggest that the Fantastic Worlds park will be one of the largest Universal has ever built. Like the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, it will employ the hub-and-spoke design, making it different from the more circular design model that Universal typically uses. This means the new park will revolve around a central icon in the middle of the park though it’s still unclear what that may be.

While the leaked documents don’t officially confirm specific themes, they do seem to be heavy with Super Mario designs, as well as featuring Universal’s classic monsters — long rumored to feature in future park designs. A Waterworld-themed stunt show is also rumored to be in the works.

The new park, whatever form it may take, is expected to open in the early 2020s.